Hidden Wings and Bloodlust

Episode 59: Calvia decemguttata - The White-Spot Ladybird

I discuss this recent arrival to the UK, discovered in the new forest over the summer. 

Sources: 

Andrew Jewels' Website: https://www.andrew-jewels.com 

https://zin.ru/animalia/coleoptera/addpages/Andrey_Ukrainsky_Library/References_files/Moore78.pdf

https://insecta.pro/taxonomy/1000974

https://pherobase.com/database/species/species-Calvia-decemguttata.php

https://arthropodafotos.de/dbsp.php?lang=eng&sc=1&ta=t_35_coleo_pol_coc&sci=Calvia&scisp=decemguttata#:~:text=*Calvia%20decemguttata*%20is%20a%20beetle%20that%20belongs,*%20Japan%20*%20Damp%20forests%20and%20parks 

Image from Insecta.pro (Photos: Ivan Tislenko, Yuri Semejkin). 

Episode 58 - Origin of Coccinellidae

I talk about the origins of ladybirds. 

Sources: 

Spotlight Ladybirds - Richard Comont

Ecology and behaviour of the ladybird beetles - Michael Majerus

Evolution of food preferences in Coccinellidae - https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrkEIRN5sloBgIAIvoM34lQ;_ylu=Y29sbwNpcjIEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1759271758/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.sciencedirect.com%2fscience%2farticle%2fpii%2fS1049964409001455/RK=2/RS=4Wu5La0qsbIGD.kLV7qiidWHlxA- 

https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/193/4/1294/6105037

https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-025-02174-2#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20Coccinellidae%20are%20recognized,20%2C21%2C22%5D.

 

Episode 57: Compassionate Entomology with Joe Gray

I speak to Joe Gray from the Ecological Citizen about Compassionate Entomology and how the concept of treating insects as individuals, taking into account their welfare, could revolutionise entomological research. 

https://blog.ecologicalcitizen.net/2024/12/10/making-a-case-for-compassionate-entomology 

Episode 56: Urban Wildlife Gardens with John Attiwell

The second part of my conversation with John. We don't stick to ladybirds but talk about a wide range of wildlife topics. :) 

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts - Music by Debra Torrance.

Buy my book! https://mybook.to/82BK2En

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Episode 55: Ladybirding in Scotland and Norfolk with John Attiwell

Recently myself and my friend John Attiwell went to Norfolk. The previous year we had been to Scotland. We recorded a 2-part conversation - the first part is about ladybirds we have found. ;) 

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Episode 54: Laboulbeniales with Michiel de Groot

I talk to Michiel de Groot of the University of Ghent about his research on the notorious Laboulbeniales fungi, and the Hesperomyces genus which infect ladybirds - especially Harlequins. 

Follow Michiel at @michieldegroot.bsky.social 

https://beetlehangers.org/ Beetlehangers 

https://www.dannyhaelewaters.com/ - Danny Haelewaters' research

https://fun-dive.eu/ - Monitoring and mapping fungal diversity 

--

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Episode 53: Coccinella hieroglyphica - The Hieroglyphic Ladybird

A little studied ladybird, but with some surprising facts mentioned in this episode. 

https://www.ko-fi.com/hwabpodcast 

Ladybirds in traditional medicine: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shafkat-Mir/publication/378176519_Ethnobiological_use_of_insects_in_traditional_medicine_and_cultural_practices_from_the_administrative_region_Rishikesh_Dehradun-India/links/65d4263d01325d46521570c8/Ethnobiological-use-of-insects-in-traditional-medicine-and-cultural-practices-from-the-administrative-region-Rishikesh-Dehradun-India.pdf

'Are we studying too few taxa'? (Mentions the chemical defence issue) https://www.eje.cz/pdfs/eje/2005/03/09.pdf 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1018364719317732 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S1995425517030106

 

Other info found on 'Field Guide to the Ladybirds of Britain and Ireland' by Helen Roy et al. 

Correction: The Palearctic Region is Europe, North Africa and Asia all the way to Japan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palearctic_realm

Music by Debra Torrance

.vtt transcript now available in Podbean and other podcast apps :) 

Episode 52 - The Orange Ladybird

All about the orange ladybird - one orange organism you will be glad to hear about in these bleak times. 

 

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Support me with Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/hwabpodcast 

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep11021.pdf 

https://www.academia.edu/download/90336212/latest.pdf

https://www.gnhs.org.uk/gn25_3/weddle_halyzia16.pdf

https://mahieu.org.uk/orange-ladybirds/ 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01647959508684050 

 

Ladybird Atlas 2025: https://biodiversityireland.ie/surveys/ladybird-atlas-2025/ 

 

Exciting news!

I'm gonna restart the @hwabpodcast again! 

Episode 51: Artificial Grass with Richard Dowling

I interview wildlife campaigner Richard Dowling (@DowlingWildlife on Twitter) about artificial grass. In this episode we talk about what the problems are with it, what the best low-maintenance plants are for your lawn as alternatives to grass, what to do if your landlord won't let you get rid of an artificial lawn and more! 

With a promo for Crime Most French @CrimeMostFrench :) 

 

Music by Debra Torrance. 

 

Sign Richard's petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/608295 

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